Tags:
Journalism of Courage
Ahead of a protest march by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) from Mandi House to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Office on Sunday, the Delhi Police has made elaborate arrangements in New Delhi area. “Though no formal permission was taken from the police by AAP for the Sunday march, security arrangements have been made nevertheless. Since Section 144 (prohibitory orders) are already imposed in New Delhi and no gathering is allowed around the PM’s office, the protesters will be dealt with according to the law,” said a police officer. When contacted, DCP (New Delhi) Madhur Verma said, “The officers have been asked to keep a track on the movement of the gathering.”
The AAP has called for a gherao of the PM’s office on Sunday over the issue of the IAS officers’ “strike”, which they claim has been on since the alleged assault on Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash at the Chief Minister’s house.
Since the last five days, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, along with his three cabinet ministers, has been on a sit-in protest at Lt Governor Anil Baijal’s office, demanding his intervention to end the “strike”. The bureaucrats, on the other hand, maintain that no such strike is going on.
Even on Friday, Kejriwal had sought the PM’s intervention to the end the “strike”, and had announced a door-to-door campaign to press for their demand for full statehood to Delhi. On Saturday, AAP leaders, through social media, appealed to party workers and supporters to gather at Mandi house for the protest march. Police said personnel will be deployed on various routes heading towards the PM’s office to stop the protesters mid-way.
